3 reasons VoIP is the greenest form of business communication

3 reasons VoIP is the greenest form of business communication

One of the biggest benefits of using modern technology is that it reduces the environmental impact of a business. Paper and ink have all but been eliminated through use of email, but some wasteful practices still couldn’t be avoided – until now.

Through the use of cloud-based business communications solutions, companies can quickly and cost-effectively reduce their carbon footprints by eliminating legacy systems and traditional practices that aren’t very green. Voice-over-IP and unified communications have many enterprise benefits, but these are the top three that help reduce an organization’s environmental impact:

1) Reduced energy consumption
Through the use of collaboration tools like voice conferencing and VoIP, enterprises can more easily offer remote working opportunities. With fewer employees in the same location, smaller physical space is needed to house operations, which cuts down on the energy costs of a large building. VoIP services have also been shown to be more energy-efficient than traditional TDM-based systems. Other cloud-based communication systems also reduce the amount of on-site hardware necessary, as employees can use their personal smartphones and computers, reducing the overall energy consumption of the office.

2) Less travel
One of the biggest benefits of utilizing cloud-based enterprise communications is the ability to reduce the need for business travel. VoIP makes it easy to speak with clients and remote employees around the world, greatly decreasing the amount of gas used for daily commutes and yearly air travel. According to TMCnet contributor Mae Kowalke, a recent study found that if half of the country’s workforce chose to telecommute just part time, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 53 million metric tons. That would be the equivalent of having the entirety of New York state never commute again.

“If half of the U.S. workforce chose to telecommute part time, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 53 million metric tons.”

3) Fewer resource needs
As mentioned previously, employing modern technology has helped businesses cut down on the amount of ink and paper they use and dramatically reduces their carbon footprints. However, cloud-based communications can help cut back on a variety of other resources as well. With the ability to work remotely, less trash and waste is accumulated.

VoIP’s green benefits often overlooked
Environmentally-friendly business practices are becoming increasingly important to customers and are therefore growing more popular with enterprises. Many IT decision-makers have heard about the cost advantages of deploying VoIP services, but it is likely that far fewer have considered the green benefits of switching to a cloud-based solution.